Electrically operated welder&#39;s hood



Oct. 20, 1936. H F"` MONTAGUE l2,058,169

ELECTICALLY OPERATED WELDERS HOOD Filed Oct. 19, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Syvum/vio@ @3M m1/ JMW,

HonwrEosLMonZ-ague, v 1

Patented ct.- 20, y1936 Emc'riucmr orEaA'rEn wsmsa's noon Homer Frost Montague,l Lexington; Ky., iissignor of `one-half to Joseph 4A. Saunier,

l Appiioaiion ootoboi- 19, v193:4, soi-iai No. 694,311

3 Claims. (CL -Si The present invention relates to improvements in electrically operated shields for use wherever it is necessary or desirable to protect operatorsV from harmful radiation. f

One of the ilelds in which the present invention may be employed is thatrelating to processes and apparatus utilizing the electric arc, and more? particularly the metal coating, welding and like arts 'i' It has heretofore been proposed to electrically operate shields for protectingworkmen from rays generated by the Velectricalnirc, but as far as known none of these devices have beenA entirely satisfactory. In accordance with the presentv invention, the protective shield is operated by a fall or decrease in voltage when the welding circuit is closed prior to drawing the arc'.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a method of protecting'workmen from the harmful radiations produced by welding and similar operations, said method under all working conditions providing protection to the workmen.

Another object of the present invention isthe provision of means for assuring protection to the workmen under all operating conditions.

A further objectlis to provide in combination with an electric arc welding apparatus magnetic means operating on open voltage for withdraw- -ing a shutter from a protective position where it intercepts radiation harmful to the operator to a non-protective position, and non-magnetic means for returning the shutter to a protective position when the welding Aapparatus on "closed voltage.

A still further'object of the invention in its preferred form is to provide in combination with an electric are apparatus a shutter movable to andl from registry witlr a window to intercept in its` "closed position radiations ha mful to an operator, magnetic means lflor mo ng the shutter into is operating a non-protective position, non-magnetic means for moving the shutter to a protective'position,

the magnetic means functioning to cause the latter to actuate the shutter to a non-protective position and to cause the non-magnetic means to actuate the shutter to a-protective position, said" connections including separatef m'eans, preferably a relay member, adapted to, break the circuit yconnections tothe magnetic means and allow thehun-magnetic means to actuate the shutter to`a protective position.

Another object of the present invention is to provide simple means forconnecting the removable shutter to the magnetic means. Further objects and advantages will appear from the following'description .taken in 4connection with the accompanying drawings. in which: 5

. Figure 1 is a vertical section through the welding hood showing the solenoid for operating the. movable screen, and a relay adapted in its closed position to energize the solenoid and to deenergize the same in its opened, position;

Fig: 2 -is -a horizontal cross section taken lon line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a wiring diagram;

Fig. '4 is an elevational view showing a Amodied solenoid arrangement for operating the mov- 15 `able shield;

. Fig. 5 is a detailed section on line 5-5 of Fig. 1, showing the manner,of mounting the movable shutter onthe solenoid armature ,or core;

. Fig. s isv a modinodform of the wiring diagram zo yin which the relay is omitted; l

' Fig-:7 is a detail showing a modied manner of mounting the movable shutterr on the armature core;

Fig. 8 is a detailed section on the line 8- 8 of Fig. 'lshowing a modified manner of mounting the movable shutter on the solenoid armature or core.

Referring to the drawings, I0 is the welders hood provided with head'bands II and I2 adjustably connected to each other. The front face I3 of the hoodhas mounted thereon, preferably at its upper portion, a fixed window or lens I4 which is carried by a suitable frame member, as for example the frame I5. A movable protective screen or lens I6 is` provided which in itsclosed position intercepts all of the harmful radiations passing through thefixed screen or. lens I4. This movable screen is carried by a suitable frame member, for example frame I1, which is.

lshown integral with the frame I5. Howevenit .Y

is obvious that it need'not be integral.y

vwhile 'the ienses ofthe niieawindow la and f the movable screen or shutter-I6 may be made of various materials, it is preferable that the 5 lens of f the fixedy window I4 be'gold tinted, but of course not to such an extent as to prevent clear vision. The gold-tinted lens will tova large extent absorb .the infra-red and ultra-violet and to a substantially less extent the visible rays. 50 I The lens bf the movable screen I6 is preferably a blue green glass, although amber glass or green glass may be used.

Fixed preferably to the lower portion of the face or wall I3 of the hood as at IB is av solenoid lo I9, provided with a core member or armature 20 adapted to telescopically move rin a feebly .magnetic guide tube 2i which preferably extends longitudinally substantially `entirely the depth of the solenoid. A spring 23 is provided to work in opposition to the magnetic pull or force of the solenoid I9. The spring may be located in' various positions as long as it accomplishes the function above set forth. However, preferably it is positioned in the lower portion of the guide tube 2| and may extend into the upper portion of the armature 20.

Any suitable means may be provided to operably connect the armature 20 with the movable screen I6. Preferably the armature has fixed thereon a pin 24 which protrudes into the aperture 25 of the movable screen I6 and rides longitudinally in the slot 26 of the guide Vtube 2 I.

A relay 21 of any suitable type which will make and break the electrical circuit is provided in series with the solenoid I9. 'I'he relay carries a yieldingly movable amature or arm 26 which is fixed at point 29 and makes the solenoid circuit by contacting with a contact 30. Connected to the contact 29 is a wire 3|, the other end of the wire being connected to the coll Isw of the sole-` noid at the point 32. The shield or hood III carries terminals Il and 34. The wire I6 completes the circuit between the relay contact 36 and the terminal 33. In the wiring diagram shown in Fig. 3, the hood terminals are indicated at the points I3 and 34. The magnetic coil 36 ofthe relay is connected in circuit by means of the wires I1 and 36. From the hood terminal 34 a wire 36 connects with the solenoid coil Isa.

The source of the welding current may be any of the usual sources, but is shown by way of example as a generator 46. Welding current wires 4I and 42 lead respectively to the welding electrode 4I and the grounding plate 44. The electrode 4I has an insulated 'handle 46 and the usual rod clampingdevice 46 adapted to hold any size of welding rod 41. Leading from the terminals Il and I4 are wires'4l and 49 shunted across the welding circuit wires 4I and 42.

In operating, the first step is to set the voltage coming from the source 40 at the proper potential which will oi'. course vary with the actual operating conditions, including the character of the .article to be welded, its position, and the character of the welding material. 'I'he welding circuit is of course open and the testing volt meter 6Il will register what is known as the open voltage. When the welding circuit is open, that is before the welding rod 41 is applied to the work, the relay contact arm 26 is in its closed positiony and high potential current is passing through the relay coil 86 functioning to keep the relay arm 26 in its closed position, and thereby allow higher potential current to pass through the solenoid I4 and energize the armature 20 which is connected to the movable shutter I6. I'he magnetic force generated by the solenoid is sumciently strong to provide a magnetic flux functioning to keep the amature 26 in its retracted position against the tension of the spring 2l, as shown in Fig. 3. It is therefore clear that when the welding cflrcuitis open and operating on openvoltage, the movable screen or shutter I6 is in its retracted position, and the welding operator can clearly see through the window I4.

As soon as the welding rod 41 is applied to the work, the voltage drops. For example, if the open voltage is about 50 volts, on drawing the welding arc the voltage may drop to about 15 or 20 volts. Of course, the drop in voltage will vary somewhat in accordance withthe length of. the welding arc drawn by the operator. Upon the drop in voltage, naturally the current passing through the relay coil 36 drops, and therefore there is less magneticA pull on the armature 28 which results in the armature 26 assuming its open position, indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3. The armature 26 is preferably made in the form of a spring, but it may be made ofa rigid material and other spring means employed to allow it to make and break the circuit es lthe voltage varies. When the armature 28 assumes its open position, no current passes through the solenoid coil Isa, and consequently the core or armature 26 has its magnetic attraction reduced to substantially zero. As a result, the spring 23 functions to push the amature 20 carrying the protective movable screen I6 upwardly to a position opposite the window I4 to thereby protect the operator from the harmful radiations produced during the welding operation.

`It is to be noted that the manner in which the present device operates is that as soon as the welding operation starts 'current ceases to fiow through the solenoid coil I9. It has been hitherto proposed to utilize an electromagnet to open and close a shutter to protect the workman. However, in the prior devices, when the welding operation starts, the current flows through .the electromagnet to actuate the shutter to a protective position. This method of operation is distinctly disadvantageous as, if the electromagnetic circuit is broken for any reason whatsoever and the welding operation continues, as it ordinarily does, the shutter fails to remain closed and protect the workman.

` That the presence of the relay in the circuit is of a distinct advantage is obvious in view of the following explanation. With the relay present in the circuit, if the operator draws a long arc and the fall of voltage is extremely small, the relay will open the solenoid circuit, permitting it to close the movable shutter I6 instantly, due to the fact that even a small drop in voltage will be sufficient to open the contact arm 26. When the relay is absent from the circuit and such an arrangement is shown in Figure 6, if the operator draws a long arc, the drop in voltage may be extremely small, as previously set forth, but this small drop in voltage may be insufficient to decrease the magnetic flux generated in the solenoid coil Ila to such an extent as to allow the spring 2l to push the amature 26 and the screen I6 carried thereby to a fully protective position. There may be other factors besides the drawing of a long arc in the electric circuit producing merely a small drop in voltage, and in the abl sence of a relay the vshutter or screen I6 may not be brought to its fully protective position. In the actual use of the present device, in the absence of a relay or a small drop in voltage'across the welding terminals, it has been observed that the shutter at times is only almost closed, and at other times it is only. for example, about threequarters closed. However, if the voltage drop is sufficient, the relay may be eliminated and then the circuit appears. as set forth in Fig. 6, which represents an operative circuit when the voltage drop is a substantial one.

As shown inTig. 4, the movable shutter Il may be operated by the two solenoids l2 and 6I in'- stead of a single solenoid.

Figures 'I and 8 show a modied form of mounting the movable shutter I6 on the arma`v^` ture core 20. Instead ofl providing a single slot. vin the guide tube, as shown in Fig. 1, the guide Ward stroke of the armature 2li.

What I claim is: I' 1. In combination with an electric arc appa.- ratus, a shield having a window therein, a shutter movable to and from a position in registry4 with said Window, magnetic means for moving said shutter in'to a non-protective position, nonmagnetic means for moving said shutter to a protective position,V and connections between the arc apparatus and said magnetic means adapted to cause the magnetic means to actuate the shut-- ter to a non-protective position and to cause the non-magnetic-means to actuate the shutter to a protective position, said connections including a relay member adapted to break the circuit connections of the magnetic means and ailow the non-magnetic means to actuate the shutter to a protective position. I

2. In combination with an electric arc apparatus, a shield having a Window therein, a shutter movable rto and from a positionV in registry with said window, a solenoid for moving said shutter into a non-protective position, nonmagnetic means for moving said shutter to a protective position, and connections between the arc apparatus and a solenoid adapted to cause the latter toactuate the shutter to a non -protective position and to :cause theI non-magnetic means to actuate the shutter to a protective position, said connections including a'relay member adapted to break the circuit connections of the solenoid and allow the non-magnetic means to actuate the shutter to'a protective position.

3. In combination with an electric arc apparatus, a shield having a window therein, ashutter movable to and from a position in registry with said window, magnetic means for moving said shutter into a non-protective positionnenmagnetic means for movingsaid shutter to a protective position, and connections between the arc apparatus and said magnetic means adapted to cause the magnetic means to actuate the shuti ter to'a non-protectiveposition and to cause the non-magnetic means to actuate the shutter to la protective position,said connections including means adapted to break the circuit connections 

